Jurors in Washington County deliberated for several hours Tuesday before convicting 37-year-old David James McClelland in the death of 92-year-old Evelyn Stepko.

His attorney vowed to appeal the verdict, which carries a mandatory life term. Defense attorney Josh Camson said in closing arguments that his client was only guilty of receiving stolen property.

McClelland claimed that even though he knew his father had stolen thousands of dollars Stepko, he was not part of a conspiracy that led to her death.

But Assistant District Attorney Mike Lucas told jurors in his closing argument Tuesday that the conspirators acted together and that McClelland "lies, denies and gives false alibis."

Lucas said McClelland was a trained police officer who took an oath to uphold the law and should have known better.

The prosecution recounted testimony and evidence of McClelland, his father and stepmother going to Meadows Racetrack and Casino and celebrating by gambling with Stepko's money.

Camson acknowledged that McClelland was greedy, but said that doesn't make him part of a conspiracy to commit murder.

"It's not conspiring. You can receive money and have knowledge of a crime, and that's not a conspiracy," said Camson.

McClelland testified that he didn't know about each burglary until it happened, and that he didn't tell authorities because he didn't want his father to get in trouble.

McClelland was still an officer for Monongahela and Washington Township when the crimes were underway. During his testimony Monday, McClelland said his father, David Allen McClelland, admitted the tens of thousands of dollars he was giving him were stolen from the Coal Center home of Stepko.

David A. McClelland previously pleaded guilty. David J. McClelland's stepmother, Diane McClelland, was convicted as a co-conspirator earlier this year.